Oklahoma Service Technician Practice Exam

Which term refers to the process of eliminating unwanted vegetation?

1. Defoliation

2. Desiccation

3. Fumigation

4. Herbiciding

The correct answer is: Herbiciding

The correct answer, herbiciding, refers specifically to the application of chemical herbicides that are designed to control or eliminate unwanted vegetation, commonly known as weeds. This process is crucial in agriculture, landscaping, and gardening to ensure that crops or desired plants can thrive without competition for nutrients, water, and sunlight from unwanted plants. In contrast, defoliation generally pertains to the loss of leaves from plants, either naturally or artificially, and does not specifically target the removal of unwanted vegetation. Desiccation involves the process of drying out, which might affect plants in general but is not a method to eliminate them directly. Fumigation usually refers to a method of pest control that involves the use of gaseous pesticides to suffocate or poison pests within a structure or soil, and it is not specific to the elimination of plants. Thus, herbiciding is the most accurate term to describe the targeted elimination of unwanted vegetation.